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Two weeks in, Lewis gets his turn to call the shots

I'm definitely not the smartest guy in the room -- unless I'm the only guy in the room. So I decided to review the events of the last 72 hours or so to make sure covering the Redskins had not finally sent me over the edge.

On Friday, the Redskins denied my request to interview offensive consultant Sherman Lewis; Coach Jim Zorn, through a team spokesman, said Lewis needed more time to become familiar with Zorn's offensive terminology and the roster before he could really contribute much. By Sunday night, Lewis had replaced Zorn as the play-caller.

When Lewis was brought in two weeks ago, it was ostensibly so that the longtime assistant in West Coast offenses could provide a "fresh set of eyes," in the words of vice president of football operations Vinny Cerrato, to look at Zorn's ineffective version of the attack. But Lewis, 67, was not well regarded as a play-caller. In fact, in 1999, the only year during which Lewis served as a primary play-caller for the Green Bay Packers, the team went 8-8, and Lewis performed poorly in the role, league sources said.

Several players I contacted last night and this morning expressed surprise that Lewis, who had been retired for more than four years before joining the Redskins less than two weeks ago, would suddenly take over the job Zorn enjoys most. And none of the players I spoke with knew what, if any, role Zorn and offensive coordinator Sherman Smith would have in devising the offensive game plan for the remainder of the season.

"Right now, it's really just chaos," said one player who requested anonymity because of the fear of reprisal from management for speaking candidly. "It's just been one thing after another, and no one knows what's going on and how it's going to work."

On the strong recommendation of Cerrato, owner Daniel Snyder hired Zorn as an offensive coordinator on Jan. 25, 2008, and promoted him to head coach 16 days later, though Zorn had never held either position in the NFL. Snyder was so frustrated with the problems on offense last season he told people in his inner circle he would have fired Zorn if the Redskins lost in Week 16 to the Philadelphia Eagles, league sources said. They won.

Two weeks ago, Lewis was brought in from outside the organization to oversee Zorn and now has been given the offense to direct on game days. Do I have that all correct?

"Their head coach has been undermined," said a longtime NFL executive who requested anonymity because of the sensitive nature of commenting on another team's front office. "They've undermined their coaching staff in laying the blame on them. Now, the players are looking for leadership, and it's hard for the coaches to be leaders when they're being questioned on whether they're going to be there or not."

"But Lewis, 67, was not well regarded as a play-caller. In fact, in 1999, the only year during which Lewis served as a primary play-caller for the Green Bay Packers, the team went 8-8, and Lewis performed poorly in the role, league sources said."

At any rate, the coach said, "this offense is better than six points - 100 percent better."

Without an OL you have a defense and that's it. You can get the odd 78 yard run 42 yard pass against the other cellar dwellers. You won't get this against your local neighborhood Eastern Division rivals.

Whose fault might it be that the offense 2 years into this scheme STILL SUCKS?? I don't understand how you say that??

The team has been an disaster on offense for years, how do you not blame the coach's...

Posted by: BeantownGreg1 | October 19, 2009 12:33 PM

Shti rolls downhill, greg. It's only been 1.25 years, for Zorn even thought the frustration goes back over a decade.

If you undermine the authority in the middle of your chain of command, you are bound to lose discipline from that point down the chain.

The players were accepting blame for their poor execution--that's a healthy sign! Let Zorn blame himself, but his boss shouldn't publicly humiliate him this way. Otherwise, just fire him already. The players want stability, too, which is why they asked for a FO endorsement of the coach.

Lewis is now in charge of the offense, Blatche runs the defense, and Smith tried to coach the defense. Any need for Zorn to be kept as head coach? I realize that Zorn is in over his head, but he's a decent man with a lot of integrity. You'd think that ownership and the front office could at least fire him the right way instead of letting him dangle in the wind.

I'm not one to usually side with Synder, but I must admit, he should have stuck with his gut feeling last year and fired Zorn after the Philly game, whether the won or lost. Things may have been chaotic early in the off season, but nothing to the magnitude of the this debacle during the season.

Hmm maybe this is wishful thinking on my part but reread the following statement.

On the strong recommendation of Cerrato, owner Daniel Snyder hired Zorn as an offensive coordinator on Jan. 25, 2008, and promoted him to head coach 16 days later, though Zorn had never held either position in the NFL. Snyder was so frustrated with the problems on offense last season he told people in his inner circle he would have fired Zorn if the Redskins lost in Week 16 to the Philadelphia Eagles, league sources said. They won.

Now again maybe I am reading between the lines but it somewhat sounds as if Snyder could be really pissed that Cerrato reccomended Zorn and maybe just maybe Cerrato is out of the door with Zorn. IMO this is Cerratos mess, he pushed to hire a WCO coach and he pretty much blew an entire draft in order to draft recievers for that system (has anyone mentioned we could have picked up at least 2 offensive linemen wiht those picks LOL). This is Cerratos mess, when Gibbs retired he left a team that had just went to the playoffs, and rather than keep continuity and hire the man Gibbs picked for the job he hires a coach with a totally different offensive system. So this is Cerratos mess and he is the one who needs to accept the blame. Again maybe its wishful thinking but Im thinking Snyder agrees. (its all we can hope for at this point).

"They've undermined their coaching staff in laying the blame on them."

JFC! What kind of genius is this guy? Of course they've "undermined" the staff. By "staff" he clearly means "Zorn".

Please, tell me why Jim Zorn should not get the blame? Honestly. He coaches the QB, designs the plays, coaches the offense, and calls the plays. He should get the blame if it's not working.

What a maroon this guy is. Undermining coaches. BS dude. Zorn isn't being "undermined". The players seem to have some loyalty to him because he's not a total a$$ho1e who's throwing them under the bus to protect himself.

But I am pretty sure they have no confidence in his abilities as a coach.

Congrats to Redskins management. With the exception of Saint Joe.... all the coaches have been progressively worse.

Norv... I still spit after speaking his name. Hwwwak-Patooie!

Marty... I believe, the only coach in the history of the Universe to go 14-2 and get fired. For Norv! Frankly , Go F*&$! Yourself, Marty.

Whose choice was it to ostracize Gregg Williams and deny him the head coaching job? Fire him. Whose choice was it to build the coaching staff from the bottom up instead of empowering a head coach to be able to do his job? Fire him. Whose choice was it to turn the Redskins into a West-Coast Offense with power-running and vertical passing players? Fire him. Whose choice was it to overstretch an aspiring offensive coordinator and turn him immediately into a head coach? Fire him. Whose choice was it to draft three receivers, all of whom have underperformed, instead of offensive linemen? Fire him. Whose choice was it to hire a $100 million dollar defensive linemen instead of 3 great-value players. Fire him.

Need to adjust offense and defense to make use of what talent you have and give some other players a chance to show what they can do.

Deactivate Thomas or Kelly. Combined stats over the last 3 games 4 receptions
Activate Marko Mitchell (nothing new on this suggestion)

Deactivate Mason and see what Aldridge can do as KO, PR and change-up back

I thought they were finally being creative starting the game with Smoot at FS and moving Landry and Horton near the line with Orakpo at DE. Again this utilizing your players at their best position. Not saying Smoot's best is FS, but having Landry closer to the line is a better use of his talent. It seemed to work out great on the first series, then they started going away from that formation. Obviously
you would change this up, but could become a very quick aggressive defense. Opposing teams would have to double Haynesworth and eventually Orakpo, leaving open a lot of different possibilities.

Don't have any suggestions for the OL. I do not think anybody does, but at least we can evaluate some other talent on others parts of the team

Whose choice was it to deactivate Marko Mitchell, the only player who could score touchdowns in the pre-season, for UFL punt returner Anthony Aldridge? If it was Zorn, so be it, that's his call. If it was anybody else, fire him.

Why would Snyder rely on any suggestions from Vinny if this is true? Snyder does have common sense he knows other owners in the league and if Vinny reccommended a guy who retired 4 years ago and who was not successful in calling plays why in the hecht would Snyder be ok with it and hire the man ..

What a maroon this guy is. Undermining coaches. BS dude. Zorn isn't being "undermined". The players seem to have some loyalty to him because he's not a total a$$ho1e who's throwing them under the bus to protect himself.

Neither one JReid has that Dog-Hearing so he makes up thing and contributes it to un-named sources...I think he's hearing the same dog that to The Son of Sam to shoot people. A 2000 year old dog named Harvey

Have the Skins become the Raiders of the East? The similarities are scary. Owners who meddle in football personnel decisions. Free agent $$ poorly spent. D Hall is the answer to an unknown question. Underachieving offense. One team seeks offensive expertise from a bed and breakfast operator, the other from a bingo hall numbers caller. Ugh. This is hopeless.

"So I decided to review the events of the last 72 hours or so to make sure covering the Redskins had not finally sent me over the edge."

Jason, I think the Redskins have sent a lot of us over the edge in the last 72 hours, me included.

I've been following the team since I was a little boy in the early '70s, and it's never been this bad during that period. In the early Norv years, the Skins were clearly in rebuilding mode, and nobody expected anything immediately.

I suppose you have to go back to the 1950s, and George Preston Marshall's refusal to sign black players, to find any period in Redskins history as bleak as this.

My question to Dan Snyder: Do you really want to be reviled in future decades as G.P. Marshall is now? Heck, maybe more so. The Redskins actually won two championships under Marshall's ownership. All they've won with you at the helm is the title of Drama Queen.

If not, Dan, fire Vinny Cerrato NOW. Not next week, NOW. Let one of your flunkies assume interim GM duties until you can find a qualified football person to run the team. Then go off and count your money or cut down some more trees or something. The only time you should ever be at Redskins Park is to sign the checks.

I have the Redskins logo on my ATM card. I did it years ago because I'll love the Skins til the day I die, but my son took the card out of my wallet while I wasn't paying attention in Macy's this past Saturday and dropped it on the floor. A guy who was shopping near us picked it up and gave it back to me. I assume it was out of pity....

Question: are you allowed to carry in large signs that disparage Vinny and Danny? Will the Fedex field security stop you from doing so? I have a pinata of Dan Snyder that I got from a buddy. I haven't broken into it yet. I'd love to bring that to a game and have a bunch of fans beat it up and hopefully get some camera face time

Beantown Greg, this offense has been bad for the 1 1/2 years Zonr has been here, the four years Gibbs II was here, the train wreck of the Spurrier dark era, the year of the Schottenheimer, and the last year of Norv Turner, which, by the way, was the first year of Dan Snyder/Vinny Cerato.

Look it up. You can't make this stuff up. It's all in print. So who's fault is it that this team has been, and currently is, offensively offensive for the past 10 years? Zorn? Or Snyderato?

Please, the only problem with the Redskins is the Cancer growth owner Daniel Snyder, Who is a nobody, he got lucky during the dotcom boom and made money and thought he could enlarge the size of his manhood by buying the Redskins. Daniel Snyder is a born loser who got lucky in life. The NFL is not for him, not for someone so impatient, so impotent someone who has to buy his wife. How sad the world is.

hudginsc, i don't think that was an official statement. That was J. Reid's summary. Of course, it would be a refreshing statement if it was issued by the organization.

Like I said its all we can hope for. I am sure Cerrato is a good talent evaluator but there is more to being a general manager than just evaluating talent, you have to match the talent to the system you are using and you have to have an overall plan as to how you are going to build your team, we were not in rebuilding mode when Cerrato took over, therefor we should not have tried to switch to the WCO. Now if this experiment would have worked then he would have looked like he knew what he was doing, but it didnt and therefor he must take the fall. If Snyder wants to keep the fans then he must fire Cerrato and hire a solid general manager and let him build this team. That is the only way he will keeps the fans. I think we are all fed up with Cerrato, and the overall lack of a plan with this front office.

Wouldn't firing Ceratto have less of an in-season effect than firing the Head Coach?

Really, what does Vinny have to do on a week to week basis (Besides talk radio)? And what record would an interim coach have to post to validate that the talent was better than Zorn?

In other words, what could possibly save the Vinster from the inevitable stench of his recent FA's and drafts?

In short, why not look for someone to take over at GM now? Sure, maybe you wait until the offseason to make major changes. Of course, I guess the flip side of that is that there really isn't much worthwhile to observe in the chaos that is going on now.

Now the Danny got a new old dog to kick around. Like one of them soap operas but for men, you know? Money, macho-ness, loss, love, hogs, rabid fans, meglomainia- this show's got it all, "Redskins, we don't play no stinkin' football."

The problem is...no self-respecting head coach will ever take over the reins of head coaching the Skins as long as Snyderrato runs the show.

Campbell and Zorn both are good and decent men who are both in way over their heads. Anyone ever give any thought to the fact that 3 offensive schemes have failed with Campbell as QB because the guy simply sucks?

Maybe it's not the system that is failing but Campbell that is failing.

The Redskins will never improve with Cerrato there. Snyder needs to hire a top tier coach, like Gruden. Let Gruden serve as GM or bring his own guy in, and then get out of the way. As a businessman, Snyder should know his role is to have a vision, hire the right people to develop that vision, and let them hire the right people to make that vision a reality. Take a page out of the handbook of Jack Kent Cooke. Pay 'em, let them work and reward success.

This poor guy Lewis is being pulled into a situation that he knows nothing about. I can only assume that Dan Snyder has offered him a payday that he can't refuse. You have to feel sorry for everyone who serves at the whim of this self-centered owner. Dan Snyder is over his head and needs to go.

Just when we thought things couldn't get worse. I pray to high heaven Snyder is giving Cerrato enough rope to hang himslef and cans him after the 16th game. But then, I always give Snyder too much credir for intelligence when it comes to running this team.

Revised forecast 3-13. We beat Oakland 17-14 on a last minute field goal.

Let's see, 67 years old, been retired in 4 years, only play called for one season 10 years ago & not well regarded as a play caller. Supposed not up on terminology a couple of days ago (I guess he coached himself up while watching the game). Let's see, Slot right I-47 - BINGO!

Talk about cutting Zorn's legs out from under him. Just fire the guy already & be done with it. This is just plain torture. Yeah, yeah let's try Cerrato & Snyder for crimes against humanity.

Only in Washington. What next, unearth Vince Lombardi? the seven blocks of granite? The 4 horsemen? If I weren't a fan, I'd find this hilarious. As a fan I find this deeply humiliating.

I am "Mr. Positive" but in this case, things will have to get worse before they can get any better (that is hard to imagine, isn't it?)

There needs to be catharsis. We cannot get rid of Snyder. But Cerrato and everything below that can be replaced and must be replaced. Only then, team building can begin with a 3-5 year horizon. Redskins have tried and failed at the "let's get a superbowl team in place soon".

Now they need to get a "
team" in place and build on youth. Fans are supportive if the team is young, brash, imaginative yet immature. Fans are sick of old, boring, un-imaginative and lame.

Snyder had some quick success in business using his "strategy" He has kept trying to beat the system in the NFL and buy his way into success. It won't happen and we don't want that kind of success. We don't need some old geezer (has been) as the coach. We need an experienced GM who brings in a talented group, some young, some old to build over time. We need a system in place in 2010 that we absolutely are sure will not make the playoffs. (or if it does, it would be sheer good fortune) We need patience.

Let's go back to January 2008 and think about the fiasco that Snyderrato called a coaching search.....anyone here wonder if Gregg Williams was named head coach and Al Saunders had remained as the offensive coordinator that the team would be in this big of a mess? I seriously doubt that even Cerrato could have made enough bad moves to destroy the continuity of that team and Williams would have had input on the personnel added to that team. Cerrato wanted someone he could control and that would never be a threat to him. That's why Jim Zorn became head coach.

The Redskins' woes are so deep that it would take diamond cutters to get through it. The best coach Snyder had was Marty who he fired b/c he wanted more control. A year later, Marty rebuilds the Chargers into playoff contenders and now super bowl contenders. When will Snyer realize, he doesnt know squat about football. He needs to hire a GM, while he find something else to do.

Zorn never had a chance as he was hired to fail or a stepping stone to get Cowher, Gruden, or Shanahan. Zorn is plan C, when other the plans did not work.

How dumb can the skins be to bring in a 67 year ole reject coodinator? The man is 67 and has not seen football since it seen him.

Whatever happened to playing football with HEART (and guts). I watched the Vikings and Ravens game this weekend....you wanna talk about heart...for the Ravens to pull up from the bottom of the barrel like that...all HEART ....that is what this "bleeding burgandy and gold" FAN sees is missing from this entire organization....HEART....it doesn't matter if you win or lose....but how the game is played....and there are some NFL organizations out there that still play the game with HEART. The SKINS organizatuion needs to starting taking some notes, reading the notes, and then digesting the notes.....HEART!

The perfect choice for this organization since it too is down with OPP - as it can't draft for sh*t. Of course that means the team would still be suckie wouldn't that just be duckie, unless they got totally luckie.

Those who say the owner will some day mend his ways don't understand one simple fact. Snyder, for 10 year, has continually shown that he is either incapable or unwilling to change. Nothing, even this horror show, indicates he is capable of changing his mindset. The arrogance is SICK!!!

There have been complaints about the fans at Fed Ex booing the home team, well I was out there yesterday and the crowd was really into the game at the opening kickoff. Most people were on their feet, yelling loudly. By halftime though, the Home team took the crowd completly out of the game and there was nothing left to do but boo the far below average Football that was being played on the field.

There have been complaints about the fans at Fed Ex booing the home team, well I was out there yesterday and the crowd was really into the game at the opening kickoff. Most people were on their feet, yelling loudly. By halftime though, the Home team took the crowd completly out of the game and there was nothing left to do but boo the far below average Football that was being played on the field.

news flash!!! This just came in!!! Al Davis has just revealed that he has two illegitimate sons, Snyder and Cerrato! And the circus continues....... F that management! They really do know one thing, destroying dreams! Don't worry Danny Boy, you and your butt buddy Cerrato can rot in hell for all I care. I'm making money too, by selling season tix to opposing opponents. GET READY FOR MONDAY NIGHT FOOTBALL AT FEDEX WHICH WILL BE A HOMEGAME FOR THE EAGLES!

The coaching search last year was a debacle. None of the big name assistants wanted to come here. The one known quantity, Fassel, not only raised the fans ire but likely demanded too much control, likely including the removal of Vinny from any football influence. So they settled on Zorn, an guy no one had pegged as a potential future OC or HC.

Maybe the front office figures it is defying NFL convention with the moves they make. Maybe they're just idiots. But by now it should obvious that that what they've been doing isn't working. That this is team is 20 to 25 players away from championship caliber not one or two. That paying a guy 41 million in guaranteed money that no one else thought was a good idea maybe really wasn't a good idea. That paying another guy 23 million in guaranteed money that is as likely to give up the big play as make it is a bad idea. But then again, maybe not.

Naa - naa - naa, hey hey, goodbye! LOL! As a Giant's fan, I happy to see the turmoil with the Redskins. As a non-supporter of Dan Snyder, he is destroying this team. While growing up in DC the Redskins were always one of the leauges best teams. Now they are quickly becoming the biggest joke. The NFC East used to be feared by other teams. Now you have to try hard to remember when that was case. Danny boy needs to realize that he doesn't know jack sqwat about football, and needs to just sit in the owners box and become a fan. He also needs to realize that Vinny is a football idiot as well. He will foresake what is good for the team because of his own personal biases. There comes a time when you have to STOP blaming the coaches and start looking at management. Just look at the Raiders. I doubt there will be as much talk about Cable being an ineffective coach, as much as they will talk about Al Davis running that team into the ground.

In the Redskins case, Vinny needs to go NOW, Zorn can stay but only as offensive coordinator (like he should have been), and a new head coach needs to come in. It is time for the Redskins to let people who understand the NFL run it!

Cerrato would love everyone to forget that this entire offense -- from the hopeless o-line, to every under-performing skill player, to the guy originally brought in TO RUN THE OFFENSE -- was HIS choice.

So of course he can't admit he assembled the worst offense in the NFL.

No. The only problem with the offense is play calling! Why do quarterbacks not hit open receivers or receivers drop passes that hit them in the hands? Play calling. Why do runners fumble or run out of bounds short of of the marker on third down? Play calling. Why can't the o-line protect the quarterback or open holes for the runners? Play calling.

Sports writers, league insiders and we stupid fans just don't see the obvious. Play calling will make all these problems go away.

And a guy who went 8-8 calling plays only one season in the last century is just the guy to do it.

It must be true because Vinny hired him, too. And all his other hires have worked out so well.

I grew up on the Redskins. I waited from 1972 to 1983 for a them to play, and win a Superbowl (11 years). Their last Superbowl was '92 and we have been waiting ever since... Thank God I since moved to Baltimore(in 2001), what timing! So, I have become primarily a Ravens fan but always root for the skins against any other team. I am so happy that I have not had to endure the Dan Snyder years. The man is a jerk.

Seriously people the BINGO reference are getting tired...show some imagimnation some originality...it like the Seinfeld episode where Jerry got carried away with the Hellooooooo...Please enough Bingo...Let Sherm call some plays then judge...

There have been complaints about the fans at Fed Ex booing the home team, well I was out there yesterday and the crowd was really into the game at the opening kickoff. Most people were on their feet, yelling loudly. By halftime though, the Home team took the crowd completly out of the game and there was nothing left to do but boo the far below average Football that was being played on the field.

There have been complaints about the fans at Fed Ex booing the home team, well I was out there yesterday and the crowd was really into the game at the opening kickoff. Most people were on their feet, yelling loudly. By halftime though, the Home team took the crowd completly out of the game and there was nothing left to do but boo the far below average Football that was being played on the field.

DAN & VINNY. I AM ASHAMED TO CALL MYSELF A REDSKIN FAN. THIS IS DUE TO YOU PAIR OF IDIOTS RUNNING THIS FOOTBALL TEAM. I PROMISE YOU GUYS. I WILL NEVER CHEER THE REDSKINS AGAIN. YOU GUYS AND ESPECIALLY DANNY BOY FOR BEING A COWARD AND NOT FIRING VINNY. I THINK VINNY HAS A DEEP SECRET ON DAN AND THAT’S THE REASON HE CANT FIRE HIM. EITHER WAY WE SUCK !!! I WOULD LIKE TO THANK YOU PAIR OF IDIOTS FOR THIS SEASON. YOU GUYS JUST REALLY DID IT FOR ME. MR. ZORN YOU WOULD BE BETTER OFF JUST CALLING IT QUITS. THIS TEAM IS AN EMBARRASMENT TO THE LEAGUE AND THE NATION.

And does anyone think Cowher or Gruden wants to bail out this sinking ship now? You publicly castrate your current coach to try and make him quit to save some money and you expect anyone to want to take the job? $nyder, there are some things even your money can't buy.

Bringing in a guy who has been retired for nearly five years, wasn't well-regarded as a play caller when he briefly active in that role 10 years ago, and who was most recently calling Bingo.....Dan Snyder has officially passed by Al Davis as the worst owner in the NFL. Stick a fork in this team, they're done.

What a maroon this guy is. Undermining coaches. BS dude. Zorn isn't being "undermined". The players seem to have some loyalty to him because he's not a total a$$ho1e who's throwing them under the bus to protect himself.

Posted by: dpc2003

Its' MORON stupid! Not MAROON, that's a color!

Posted by: KurtShanaman | October 19, 2009 1:23 PM | Report abuse

-------------
The person probably did mean "maroon" and not "moron." "Maroon" is very common in this situation and most of us did first learn it on Bugs Bunny. "What a maroon" is a common expression. So, you shouldn't be calling people stupid if: 1. you're wrong, 2. you're not aware of common expressions. We're all entitled to our opinions, but if you're hyper-critical, insulting, AND wrong about a non-football topic, then you best just shut up.

Posted by: chrislarry |
Zorn is such a mega-stooge....
Is it the players fault: yes
Is it Zorn's fault: yes +
Is it Vinny's fault Yes ++
Is it Snyder's fault Yes +++
Will Lewis help: no
---------
It is soon Lewis' fault - YES +++++

Coach Zorn.. Grow a pair real fast. Tell the frount office this is your team and you will run it as you need to. By being the nice guy, you are never going to please anyone. You are a dead man walking. Take the litte bull by the horn and fight.

The writing is on the wall for Zorn. Watching him on the sidelines of yesterday's game, you really realized how clueless he truly is. So, what's that say about upper management? -who put this guy as the leader. Zorn damn sure isn't a 'leader'. We just need to clean house from the top down and start over and forget this embarrassment of a once proud organization.

"Snyder was so frustrated with the problems on offense last season he told people in his inner circle he would have fired Zorn if the Redskins lost in Week 16 to the Philadelphia Eagles, league sources said."

Maybe the Danny could have grown a set and have had the decency to fire Zorn after one year. This petty, half-baked gamesmanship is embarrassing for fans, Zorn, the franchise, and the NFL.

Cerrato said we should judge him by his performance. Well, clearly his handpicked coach is a bust. His 2008 draft was a bust. The #21 overall pick we traded down to Atlanta to get our WRs was used on LT Sam Baker who won the starting job there and helped solidify the Falcons line for a playoff run.

I want to express my opinion from a fan point of view concerning the decision made about Zorn. I'm quite glad it was made; the Redskin can not continue down the path that Zorn was taking them. It is embarrassing for me to watch them, week in and week out, struggling to get in the end zone or to get in field goal position and at the same time playing only the last two minutes of the game when they had an entire hour. So if I'm embarrassed, I'm sure the embarrassment they feel should be far greater, if not it should be. Also, I only share a small portion of your opinion about the confusion this will cause the players as far as leadership is concerned, because lets be realistic the ‘Skins are grown professional men, not third graders whose teacher is out indefinitely and they have to deal with a substitute teacher and in this case they usually adapt quickly, so I’m sure that grown professional men can too. It’s like my grandmother use to say to her children and grandchildren when things went awry and were all discombobulated, "Pick yourself up, wipe that dusk off and just get it done." Plus, I believe they owe it to their fans to do just that, because even though they are the ones out on the field taking the beating from the previously winless teams, they are getting paid big money, while we the fans are taking a beating everyday from every other fan in the entire league and we get paid nothing for wearing their jerseys and other team merchandise. But we do it week in and week out, because we are DIEHARDS. Can we get some die hard spirit back from them?

dpc2003 wrote:
"Please, tell me why Jim Zorn should not get the blame? Honestly. He coaches the QB, designs the plays, coaches the offense, and calls the plays. He should get the blame if it's not working."

Here is what Zorn should say to Dan
1. Get a hobby
2. Get out of my office
3. i told you at the begining of the season that the OL is not good
4, Get Vinny out of my office, i am calling the plays and i do not need a senior citizen consultant.

Here is what Zorn should say to JC:

1. Get some guts
2. pick your best five plays and you play with them regarding what bingo callers tells you.
3. smack portis around in the private room
4. Keep throwing to the new guys to show to the rest of the world how stupid dan and vinny team is..

to the skins fans relax we are still better then most , when we start supporting the team we did so for better and worse. enjoy, sup;port and be a sportmen and support our team through thick and thin....Go Skins!!!!!!!!!

There's not much hope for the offense. They should teach the defense how to score. Maybe let the defense play both ways. Or the offense could punt on first down. That way they would have their better players on the field most of the time.

Danny, Why would you put a man .with a worse reputation for calling plays than zman, in charge of calling the plays?you want to be so bad that you will get the number one draft choice next year. Then you can go out and waste another draft choice and you can suck again next year.

Either way, I don't blame the players for relating it so much as I blame Zorn for "Thinking Out Loud."

I'm wondering if maybe his brain exists in the air between us, in that brilliant void wherein all genius and creativity runs like a mighty, yet, unnamed river... into which the seeker of knowledge, the open-minded, the curious, the reflecting, can tap for the most profound answers to their most mundane questions.

Kinda like an invisible Magic 8 Ball.

Either way, Zorn needs to do some thinking on the INSIDE of his head for a change. NOBODY on the sideline needs to hear that. I'm guessing he was looking for confirmation. Keep looking, Buddy. I think confirmation may be waiting for you on the West Coast, where you left your crappy offense.